Cairngorm Mountain consultation

The Cairngorm Mountain Estate, managed by Highlands and islands Enterprise, is one of the most important access points in Scotland for walkers, climbers and ski-tourers getting into the wild heart of the National Park, and the slopes up from Glenmore to Cairngorm itself are a national showcase of Scotland’s mountain environment.

The ski area has had a troubled history which came to a head in 2018 when the funicular railway was shut down as a result of structural problems. The company that previously ran the ski operations (Cairngorm Mountain Ltd, a subsidiary of Natural Retreats UK) went into administration and the operation and company assets were taken over by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) using public funding. Now the owners, HIE, are running a public consultation on the future for Cairngorm Mountain.

A masterplan for the estate is to be produced and the public consultation should help to inform the future direction of development on the mountainside. The estate is very important in Scotland for conservation and for recreation and Mountaineering Scotland has already been engaging with HIE  in advance of the consultation and shared our position statement with both HIE and the consultants leading the consultation.

Our view of the way forward for the mountainside can be read here.

This consultation is more than just about ski lifts and the funicular, as it concerns the future of the whole estate, all 1400 hectares of wild mountainside. If you are passionate about Cairngorm or care for the wilder places in Scotland we urge you to make your voice heard in this consultation.  It is open for comment until midnight on the 8th March.

The survey questionnaire can be accessed here.

Photo by Heather Morning